Railway-signal holding and positioning device



I a. R. MORRIS RAILWAY SIGNAL HOLDING AND POSITIONING DEVICE Feb. "25, 1930.

Filed March '16', 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor feayejzflfari'ak I Feb. 25, 1930. G, R MORRls 1,748,557

RAILWAY SIGNAL HOLDING AND POSITIONING DEVICE Filed March 16, 1929 a Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Feb. 25, 1930. G. R. MORRIS 1,748,557

RAILWAY SIGNAL HOLDING AND POSITIONING DEVICE med 1929 s Sheets-Sheet a 4/ I I I 1 I a? I 4 a I 4: g i; Y 1% 6/4/65 F ji I k\ 7 Q Inventor "7 l I 1 fl aiye 12, v

Patented Feb. 25, 1930 UNITED STATES v I GEORGE.R. MORRIS, OF DOLA, VEST VIRGINIA RAILWAY-SIGNAL HOLDING AND EOSITTONING DEVICE Application filed March 16, 1929. Serial No. 347,609.

This invention relates to railway appliances' and has more partlcular reference to an accessory usable on a railway conveyance,

either an engine or car, for carrying and placing in position, audible and visible signalling elements, such as for instance. track torpedoes andfusees. i

As is well known various types and kinds I of torpedoes and fusees are used in railway signalling for giving both, audible and visible signals, particularly to engineers of oncoming trains, these signal elements being placed, on the tracks at danger points, in order to prevent unavoidable collisions and destruction. I

Various means and methods have been devised for facilitating the placement of such torpedoes and the like. Under ordinary circumstances in the present practice these'devices are placed on the track by hand. On the market now are torpedoes and fusees which are provided with rail clips-especially designed to resiliently snap over the head of the rail to aid in holding. the signal element in. place. 1 I

Ihave evolved .and produced a mechanical appliance designed for cooperation with both fusees and torpedoes'provided with clips of this type, and the appliance comprises a novel structural'arrangement'of details which 00- operate in an efficient manner for expeditiously placing the elements in position on the track while the train is moving slowly.

The specific details and their especial asso- 5 ciation will be more readily apparent from the following description and drawings. In the drawings: Figurel is a side elevation of a fragmen- Q tary portion of what may be designated as a portion of an engine showing the device associated with a step equipped platform; I Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the device removed, with portions shown in section. Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional viewq'through the supporting and attaching means." p

Figure 4 is ahorizontal section approximately uponthe plane of theline 4-4 of Figure Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of one of the cam roller equipped signal element clamping devices.

Figure 6 is a fragmentaryseotional view showing the manner in which the clamping device is associated with a track rail torpedo.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the upper portion of the relatively fixed part of the supporting and attaching means. I

Figure 8 is a horizontal section through the clamping jaws showing the canted cam rollers.

Figure 9 is a detail vertical section on the line 9-9 of Figure 5. j m Figure 10 is a fragmentary elevational view on an enlargedscale showing the especially designed clamping and retainingmeans for an ordinary or conventional type offusee. v

Referring now to Figure 1 it will be seen that the reference character 11 designates the movable conveyance which may be an engine, caboose, car, or the 'like.- As before stated the appliance is intended to be attached to any such conveyance and is capable of applying the signal elements while the train is in motion. The appliance is as seen here mounted close to a platform and near the steps in order that the appointed employee may conveniently manipulate it in an expeditious manner. The reference character 12 desig nates generally the supporting and attach ing means. The supporting and attaching means 12 includes a relatively fixed part 13 which is rigidly fastened to the car 11'. i The fixed part 13 is here shown in the :form of a vertically disposed fiat rectangular body formed at its bottom with a stop lip 14 andv formed on its vertical edges with guides 15. This is also formed with a central guide slot 16., Cooperable with this part is a substan-' tially L shaped'hoisting element. This includes a vertical portion 17 havinglongitudinal flanges 18 slidable in the guides. 1 Also as seen in Figured this part 17.0arries a substantially T-shaped'keeper-which is cooperable with theslot 1'6 as clearly shown in Figure- 4. i The guide, "guide'flanges. and slots serve to hold these'par'ts in assembledslidin'g relation. seen in- Figure the'part,

17 is provided with a vertical rack 20 with which a pinion 21 on the shaft 22 is engaged. The pinion is in mesh with the rack and the shaft carries a hand crank 23 for convenient manipulation.

Referring now to the lower portion of the L-shaped adjusting device it will be seen that this comprises a horizontal or short arm 24. These portions 17 and 24; are of channel shaped cross section seen better in Figure 3. Referring to Figure 3 it will be observed that a bearing block 25 is provided at the upper end of the vertical. shaft 26 through which said shaft isjournaled. This shaft 26 carries a beveled gear 27 in mesh with the similar bevel gear'28 on the short upper horizontal shaft 29. This shaft 29 is provided with a relatively small hand crank 30 for. convenient and individual operation. The lower end of the shaft'26 is journaled in a block 31 and, carries a beveled gear 32 inmesh with the complemental gear 33 on a horizontal shaft34. The shaft 34; is mounted in the lower end portionQt and it in turn carries a beveled gear 35 meshing with a beveled gear 36 on a rotarycarrier sha t 37.

The carrier is generally designated by the.

reference character 38. As seen in Figure 1 this carrier is provided with three radial arms extending outwardly from the triangular hub 39 which is keyed on the shaft 37 as seen in. Figure 2. One pair of the arms is represented by reference characters 40, and theremaining arm by the reference character Incidentally I might say here thatin thistriple arm carrier ithas been found convenient to construct two of the arms with clamping means for torpedoes and the remainingarm vwithclamping'means for a fusee. The number of clamping means and arms however may be varied according to requirements. Referring for example to Figure 6 it will be seen that the arm 40 has its outer end provided with opposite pairs of ears 42 between which clamping aws 43 are pivotally mounted as at 44. The lower ends 'of these jaws are provided. with recesses as which cooperate with the outturned terminals 46 of a clip 47 designed to engage the head of the track rail. 48. This clip carries a conve-n tionaltorpedo represented at -TS. Incidentally the parts 46, 47 and 9 constitute a conventional type of. torpedo nowmarketed, and designed to cooperate with the spring clip. The upper end portions of the aws are pressedoutwardly under the action of coiled springs, 50. The reference character 51v designates a. plunger which is urgeddownwards 1y under the action of the spring 52; This plunger serves-to hold the torpedo'andits re-' taining clip between the jaws, while the jaws are; in torpedo; carrying position. hen however, thearms .40 are broughtdown into verticahalinement withthe-rail and it is desired .tozdisengage' the torpedo, thisis done by from the retaining clip which carries the torpedoes. Obviously, then, convenient carrying and releasing means is embodied in the rotary carrier. The rotary carrier is operable through the medium of the hand crank, cooperating shaft and beveled gears.

The means for holding the fusee in place is substantially the same construction, although there is a slight variation so far as the arm ll is concerned. Referring to'Figure 10 it will be seen that the arm tl is providedwith a socket constructed to accommodate and receive the conventional fusee 53. This fusee as is usual is provided at its lower end Withthe head 54L with which the rail engaging clip is connected and is provided at its upper end with the igniting fuse 55 to which the match is attached. The free end of the fuse is exposed so that itmay be conveniently lighted. Inasmuch as the features of the clamping means are identical with the features for clamping the torpedo, the same reference characters indicate like parts through the views.

The gist ,ofthe invention is in providing an attaching device wnich may be connected to the. movable car, this including a-fixed part located at an appropriate element for convenient operation, and vertically adjustable L-shaped parts on which the rotary carrier is mounted and which carries the shafting and operating gears. It is also advantageous to provide a rack and pinion means for raisingand loweringthe L-shaped-device in order that the carrier 38 may be arranged'in full line position as seen in Figure 1 or in the elevated dotted. line position. When in the dotted line position'the carrier is in convenient place for, inserting the torpedoes and fusees. When in the full. line position the clamping devices may be brought'selectively to play by the operating means wherebyto release and place the torpedo or fuseeinposition on the trackrailin the mannershownin Figure 6. V

From the foregoing description and drawingsitwill beseen that Thrive-evolved; and produced a novel andsimplified railway accessory capable of attachment to an existing railway car in aposition. over the. track rail and'so constructed, as to permittorpedfoes, fusees, and similar signalling elements to-be placed in position:onflthetrackat any desired point in the courseof travel, whereby, to;avoid certain inconvenience experienced inthepres:

ent method of accomplishing this result. It is thought however that railroad men and other persons skilled in the art to Which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the construction and features and advantages after carefully reading the description in conjunction with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is deemed to be 'unessential.

Although I have shown and described the preferred embodimentof the invention and have emphasized certain details, I wish it to be distinctly understood that minor changes in shape, size, materials and other rearrangements of details such as fall within the scope of the following claims may be resorted to in actual practice if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a railway signal appliance of the class described, supporting and attaching means comprising a relatively fixed body including guides, a substantially L-shaped hoisting and lowering element having its vertical por-.'

tion provided with coacting means associated with said guides to hold said element and body together to permit adjustment of the element on the body and a raising and lowering means interposed between the elements and body for actuating the element, and sig nal carrying and applying means mounted on said hoisting and lowering element.

2. A railway signal appliance of the class described, supporting and attaching means comprising a relatively fixed body, a substantially L-shaped hoisting and lowering element, coasting guide means between the element and body, arack carried by said element, a shaft mounted for rotation on said body and provided with a pinion in mesh with said element whereby to raise and lower said element, a rotary signal carrier and applying device mounted on said element, and oper'at ing means carried by said element for actuating said device. I

In testimonywhereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE R. MORRIS. 

